Some people will never like Barry Bonds. And that's just fine with him. Bonds certainly doesn't need our love, but he'd really prefer to not have our hate. In 2001 Bonds had what many are calling the best offensive season ever. With the spotlight firmly on him, he broke Mark McGwire's single-season home run record of 70 and kept right on going. And like Hank Aaron did decades earlier, Bonds prevailed amidst a scary amount of hate mail and death threats.

After his dad was killed in a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. did what his father would have wanted him to do. He got right back into his car. It was obvious that nothing would ever be the same, but the 26-year-old had to move on. Four months later the NASCAR circuit returned to Daytona for the first time since the tragedy. With Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip watching his back in second place, Earnhardt Jr.'s #8 car powered across the finish line for his third career Winston Cup victory. "Y'all know who that's for, guys," he said after the race. Dad would approve.

All in all, the 2000-01 NFL season was rather disappointing for the St. Louis Rams. The defending Super Bowl champs lost the division title to the upstart New Orleans Saints, and were then ousted from the NFC playoffs by those same Saints. But for star running back Marshall Faulk, the season was record-breaking. Faulk, the league MVP and main cog in the Rams' high-powered offense, scored an NFL-record 26 touchdowns, breaking Emmitt Smith's previous mark of 25. Now consider that an injury forced him to miss two full games!

The Bronx, N.Y., pitcher made a name for himself by pitching the first perfect game in the Little League World Series since 1957. His mastery on the mound was quickly replaced, however, by the details of a devious age-shaving scandal. Move over Rosie Ruiz, the poster child for cheating in sports goes by a new name.

Armstrong continues to amaze. His first victory in the Tour de France after battling for his life against cancer was inspirational. But afterward they said he hadn't faced the world's best. His second victory seemed too easy. Afterward they said he was probably on performance-enhancing drugs. His third victory left them searching for words. Afterward they were speechless.